In the January edition of FMLink, FEA’s Steve Meador explores natural ventilation for buildings.
For most of human history, natural ventilation was the only way to dilute and flush air contaminants like odors, smoke, and other combustion by-products from an inhabited space. It was also a primary means of achieving thermal comfort through passive cooling, especially in climate regions that didn’t experience big swings in daily temperatures. With the implementation of air conditioning and envelope improvements in the 20th century, things changed dramatically as interior conditions became more controllable through use of HVAC machinery. Buildings became better sealed and were often designed without operable windows, meaning infiltration of outside air was lessened.
Determining whether a natural ventilation strategy is right for your building depends on a number of factors, including climate, building use, local surroundings, and building design and construction.
Read the whole article here.
